Every Mass Effect game, ranked
All 6 Mass Effect games we hold, spanning 2008 to 2021: 4 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 117,927 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: Mass Effect Legendary Edition (GamingPickz Score 8.2), the highest-rated entry we can score.
- For canon order: begin with Mass Effect (2007) (2008) and follow the release-order timeline below.
- For the money: Mass Effect (2007) gives the most score per dollar right now.
The Mass Effect games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 4 games, plotted rather than listed. The two axes below are the ones the ranking is built from, so a game sitting high and right is a game the formula placed near the top. Change either axis to see the field a different way. Where we hold a publisher wordmark, the game is drawn as its mark rather than a dot.
4 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 4 games rather than the full 0 to 100 scale, because a filtered list shares a narrow band and would otherwise sit in one corner. End values are marked. A point on the left edge is the lowest of thesegames, not a low score.
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Every game by critic score
The grid above is built from Steam data, so it can only place the Mass Effect games that were on Steam. This one uses the Metacritic critic aggregate, which the older console-only entries have too, so the whole series lands on a single chart: critic score against release year.
On Steam (also has a GamingPickz Score) Console-only (Metacritic only)
4 best Mass Effect games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
- 1
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.2GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceMass Effect Legendary Edition at a glance Released 2021 Studio BioWare Player sentiment 91% positive of 67,045 Critics 86/100 Price $59.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 120 GB Accessibility 4 declared features Raw 91% shrinks to 91.0 on 67,045 reviews, then blends with the 86 critic aggregate, giving 8.2.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 2
Mass Effect 2 (2010 Edition)
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.2GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceMass Effect 2 (2010 Edition) at a glance Released Not recorded Studio BioWare Player sentiment 94% positive of 15,544 Critics 94/100 Price Not listed Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 94% shrinks to 93.7 on 15,544 reviews, then blends with the 94 critic aggregate, giving 8.2.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 3
Mass Effect (2007)
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.1GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceMass Effect (2007) at a glance Released 2008 Studio BioWare Player sentiment 94% positive of 16,574 Critics 89/100 Price $29.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 94% shrinks to 93.8 on 16,574 reviews, then blends with the 89 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 4
Mass Effect: Andromeda Deluxe Edition
Best for: Playing through with a friend online
6.7GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceMass Effect: Andromeda Deluxe Edition at a glance Released 2020 Studio BioWare Player sentiment 74% positive of 18,764 Critics 72/100 Price $39.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 55 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 74% shrinks to 74.2 on 18,764 reviews, then blends with the 72 critic aggregate, giving 6.7.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Only the 4 Mass Effect games with Steam review data can be scored and ranked. The complete series, scored or not, is charted in order below.
Best and worst entry
The best-received Mass Effect game we can score is Mass Effect Legendary Edition at 8.2. The lowest is Mass Effect: Andromeda Deluxe Edition at 6.7, a 1.5-point spread across the series. The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
How the series scored over time
GamingPickz Score against release year, 2008 to 2021. It has held roughly steady across the years.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: Mass Effect (2007) at $29.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: Mass Effect (2007), the most GamingPickz Score per dollar in the series at its current price.
On a Steam Deck
Valve's own Deck compatibility rating for the Mass Effect entries on Steam:
- Playable: Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect: Andromeda Deluxe Edition, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Mass Effect 2 (2010 Edition)
Platforms across the series
Where the 6 Mass Effect games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 6 of 6 |
| PlayStation | 2 of 6 |
| Xbox | 2 of 6 |
| Nintendo | 1 of 6 |
The Mass Effect series, game by game
Every Mass Effect game we hold, in release order. Each description is the game's own, from Steam where it has a listing and Wikipedia for the older entries, never ours.
- 2008
As Commander Shepard, you lead an elite squad on a heroic, action-packed adventure throughout the galaxy. (Steam)
- 2010
Mass Effect 2
Metacritic 94Mass Effect 2 is a 2010 action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Microsoft Game Studios and Electronic Arts. It was released for Windows and the Xbox 360 in January 2010, as well as the PlayStation 3 the following year. It is the second installment in the Mass Effect series and a sequel to the… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting and characters See also: Universe of Mass Effect and List of Mass Effect characters Mass Effect 2 is set within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where interstellar travel is possible through mass transit devices called Mass Relays, a technology believed to have been built by an extinct alien race known as the Protheans. A conglomerate body of governments known as the Citadel Council controls a large percentage of the galaxy and is… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical response Reception Upon release, Mass Effect 2 received critical acclaim from video game publications. Substantial praise was given to the game's diverse characters, interactive storytelling , voice acting and art design. IGN reviewer Erik Brudvig called Mass Effect 2 a personal game with much emotion. (Wikipedia)
- 2012
Mass Effect 3
Metacritic 89Mass Effect 3 is a 2012 action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The third major entry in the Mass Effect series and the final installment of the original trilogy, it was released in March 2012 for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. A Wii U version of the game, entitled Mass… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting See also: Mass Effect The Mass Effect trilogy is set within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where interstellar travel is possible through the use of mass transit devices called mass relays , a technology believed to have been built by an extinct alien race known as the Protheans. A conglomerate body of governments known as the Citadel Council controls a large percentage of the galaxy and is responsible for maintaining law and order… (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: List of Mass Effect characters Freddie Prinze Jr. joined the cast of Mass Effect 3 as James Vega . The protagonist of Mass Effect 3 is Commander Shepard ( Mark Meer or Jennifer Hale ), an elite human soldier who is Commanding Officer of the Normandy SR-2 starship. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical response Reception Upon release, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Mass Effect 3 received "universal acclaim" while the Windows and Wii U versions received "generally favorable reviews" from video game publications , according to review aggregator Metacritic . The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game finished with scores of 93 out of 100, making Mass Effect 3 the highest-rated game of 2012 on both systems. Critics felt that… (Wikipedia)
- 2020
Return to the Mass Effect universe & lead the first humans in Andromeda on a desperate search for our new home. (Steam)
- 2021
The Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from the highly acclaimed Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs — remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD. (Steam)
Reception
Reception According to the review aggregator Metacritic , the Windows and PlayStation 4 versions of Mass Effect Legendary Edition received "generally favorable reviews" whereas the Xbox One version received "universal acclaim" from video game publications . According to OpenCritic , 96% of 122 critic reviews recommend the game. Critics generally felt that the first Mass Effect , which received more extensive upgrades than its sequels, was significantly… (Wikipedia)
- —
Are you prepared to lose everything to save the galaxy? You'll need to be, Commander Shepard. It's time to bring together your greatest allies and recruit the galaxy's fighting elite to continue the resistance against the invading Reapers. (Steam)
Mass Effect, head to head
Two entries side by side on score, price, specs and reception:
Mass Effect vs other series
How Mass Effect stacks up against other series in the same genre, as a whole:
Also: Mass Effect vs DARK SOULS, Mass Effect vs Dragon Age, Mass Effect vs DRAGON BALL, Mass Effect vs Monster Hunter, Mass Effect vs Mount & Blade, Mass Effect vs Yakuza, Mass Effect vs ARK, Mass Effect vs Borderlands, Mass Effect vs Deus Ex, Mass Effect vs Risen, Mass Effect vs State of Decay, Mass Effect vs The Witcher, Mass Effect vs Torchlight, Mass Effect vs Watch, Mass Effect vs ArcheAge, Mass Effect vs Divinity, Mass Effect vs Dragon's Dogma, Mass Effect vs Dungeon Siege, Mass Effect vs ELDEN RING, Mass Effect vs EverQuest, Mass Effect vs God of War, Mass Effect vs Gothic, Mass Effect vs Hades, Mass Effect vs Heroes of Hammerwatch, Mass Effect vs Kingdom Come, Mass Effect vs Kingdoms of Amalur, Mass Effect vs Marvel’s Spider-Man, Mass Effect vs Middle-earth, Mass Effect vs Might & Magic, Mass Effect vs NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, Mass Effect vs Pathfinder, Mass Effect vs Prototype, Mass Effect vs South Park, Mass Effect vs Street Fighter, Mass Effect vs The Lord of the Rings, Mass Effect vs The Surge, Mass Effect vs Tom Clancy’s The Division, Mass Effect vs Two Worlds, Mass Effect vs Wasteland
Common questions
How many Mass Effect games are there?
We hold 6 Mass Effect games in the catalogue, released between 2008 and 2021. 4 of them carry enough Steam data to rank; the rest are listed in release order below, including console-only entries with no Steam listing.
Which Mass Effect game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, Mass Effect Legendary Edition rates highest at 8.2. That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, computed the same way for every game, not our opinion. The full ranking is above.
What order should I play the Mass Effect games in?
Release order is listed below, from 2008 to 2021. For most series that is also story order, but we list dates rather than telling you a canon; the timeline is read from Wikidata.
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